The Miskito Coast
|- | align=center style="vertical-align: top;" colspan=2 | National motto: In loyalty steadfast |- | align=center style="vertical-align: top;" colspan=2 | National anthem: We who are free |- |'Region' || Lucerna |- |'Capital' || Sodan |- |'Official languages' || Miskiton, English |- |'Ethnic Groups'|| Miskiton with an undefined number of other small ethnic groups |- | Demonym || East Africans |- |'Government' -Executive -Legislative -Judicial | The Office of the President The National Assembly The Supreme Court |- |'National Leader' |Laurent Kibiki |- |'Population' |31 million |- |'Geography' -Area -Highest Point | 580,000 km2 Mount Saratoga(14,928 ft) |- |'Currency' || NS Dollar |- | align=center colspan=2 | NS |} The Miskito Coast (miss-'KE'-toe/mes-'KEY'-tow/moss-'KAY'-toe), officially the Dominion of The Miskito Coast, is collection of four major and several minor islands lying between the Stadio and Atami Seas just south of the tropic of Capricorn in the Lucernan region. Miskito takes its name from the native Miskito tribes of the islands although in many parts of the world it is miss-translated as Mosquito Coast, due to the numbers of Mosquitos and Malaria. The people of Miskito were hunter-gatherers until 1,700 to 2,300 years ago, when several tribal populations migrated to the southern parts of the country. The official languages are English and Miskito, although multiple other languages are spoken in the country. Miskito has a land area of 580,000 km2 and a population of a little over 31 million residents. The current president is Laurent Kibiki. Miskito has a mixed climate, although much is highland areas stretching down to the coasts. The temperate in the lower areas is warm and humid which changes to wildlife-rich savannah grasslands moving inland. Many areas are arid and semi-arid areas with near-desert landscapes. The highlands are cooler and more temperate. Miskito was a monarchy for most of its history, and the Miskiton dynasty traces its roots to the 2nd century BC. During the Age of Imperialism Miskito was the only poor countries in this region retained its sovereignty as a recognized independent country. The Monarchy was overthrown with outside support following the Great War and the then Royal Family fled overseas, where they still live and retain strong support among some elements of the people for their restoration. The period since then has been marked by intermittent conflicts, most recently a civil war. The majority of the population is Methodist but there are strong populations of other religions. Miskito underwent a series of famines from the 1980s until today, exacerbated by adverse geopolitics and civil wars. History Geography & Enviroment At 580,000 km2 Miskito is a medium sized Lucernan country. It is collection of four major and several minor islands lying between the Stadio and Atami Seas just south of the tropic of Capricorn in the Lucernan region. The Miskito highlands cover most of the nation, resulting in a unique and cooler then expected climate. Large areas are arid and semi-arid deserts and several snowcapped mountains can be found. The coast line is punctuated by steep cliffs and deep fjords. It also has a large number of endemic species, notably the Baboon, the Ibex, Hyenea, Bull and the wolf. The wide range of altitude has given the country a variety of ecologically distinct areas, this has helped to encourage the evolution of endemic species in ecological isolation. Climate The predominant climate type is tropical monsoon, with wide topographic-induced variation. The Highlands have a climate which is generally considerably cooler than other regions at similar proximity to the Equator. Most of the country's major cities are located at elevations of around 2,000–2,500 m (6,562–8,202 ft) above sea level. The average annual temperature is 16 °C (60.8 °F), with daily maximum temperatures averaging 20–25 °C (68–77 °F) throughout the year, and overnight lows averaging 5–10 °C (41–50 °F). Most major cities and tourist sites in Miskito lie at high elevations and have a comparable climate. In less elevated regions, particularly the lower lying grasslands and shrub lands the climate can be significantly hotter and drier. Wildlife Miskito has 31 endemic species of mammals. Wildlife populations have been rapidly declining owing to logging, civil wars, pollution, poaching and other human interference, A long civil war along with severe drought, negatively impacted environmental conditions leading to even greater habitat degradation. Habitat destruction is a factor that leads to endangerment. Human impact threatens many species as a result of climate change induced by greenhouse gas emissions. Deforestation Deforestation is a major concern for Miskito as studies suggest loss of forest contributes to soil erosion, loss of nutrients in the soil, loss of animal habitats and reduction in biodiversity. At the beginning of the 20th century around half of Miskitos land was covered by trees but recent research indicates that forest cover is now approximately 12% of the area. Adding to the problem is the increasing demand for land for coffee production. Current government programs to control deforestation consist of education, promoting reforestation programs and providing alternate raw material to timber. In rural areas the government also provides non-timber fuel sources and access to non-forested land to promote agriculture without destroying forest habitat. Economy For decades, Miskito's economy suffered from devastating economic policies and instability, leaving Miskito as one of the world's poorest countries. The country has commenced economic reforms but growth has been slow. There have been efforts for reform but the scope of reform is modest. Agricultural productivity remains low, and frequent droughts still beset the country. Growth has not always led to poverty reduction. Despite an improving average annual rate, poverty levels have increased simultaneously. Urban and especially rural poverty remains an issue in the country. Miskito has a large diaspora who contribute enormously economic growth through remittances and other investments (especially property). However Miskito still relies massively on aid and humanitarian agencies for much of its funds. Provision of telecommunications services is left to a state-owned monopoly. It is the view of the current government that maintaining state ownership in this vital sector is essential to ensure that telecommunication infrastructures and services are extended to rural Miskito, which would not be attractive to private enterprises. The Miskito constitution defines the right to own land as belonging only to "the state and the people", but citizens may only lease land (up to 99 years), and are unable to mortgage or sell. Agriculture accounts for almost 49% of the gross domestic product (GDP), 80% of exports, and 80% of the labor force. Many other economic activities depend on agriculture, including marketing, processing, and export of agricultural products. Production is overwhelmingly by small-scale farmers and enterprises and a large part of commodity exports are provided by the small agricultural cash-crop sector. Principal crops include coffee, pulses (e.g., beans), oilseeds, cereals, potatoes, sugarcane, and vegetables. Exports are almost entirely agricultural commodities, and coffee is the largest foreign exchange earner. Maize is the second largest export. The life expectancy of men is reported to be 56 years and for women 59 years. Exports Miskito is one of the world’s largest producers of coffee and ranks highly as a producer of livestock. Other main export commodities are diamonds, gold, leather products, and oilseeds. Recent development of the floriculture sector means Ethiopia is poised to become one of the top flower and plant exporters in the world. Exports from Miskito in the previous three years totaled an average of $NS800 million The unofficial trade of live cattle, camels, sheep and goats from Miskito sold to neighboring countries generates an estimated total value of between US$100 and US$150 million annually (100 times more than the official figure). This trade helps lower food prices, increase food security, relieve border tensions and promote regional integration. However, there are also risks as the unregulated and undocumented nature of this trade runs risks, such as allowing disease to spread more easily across national borders. Furthermore, the government of Miskito is purportedly unhappy with lost tax revenue and foreign exchange revenues. Recent initiatives have sought to document and regulate this trade. With the private sector growing slowly, designer leather products like bags are becoming a big export business. Additional small-scale export products include cereals, pulses, cotton, sugarcane, potatoes and hides. However, coffee remains its most important export product. The country also has large mineral resources including diamonds and gold as well as oil potential in some of the less inhabited regions. Political instability in those regions, however, has inhibited development. Transportation Miskito has 681 km of railway. The Miskito government began a sustained effort to improve its infrastructure of roads however less than 10% are paved and many are still unusable in poor weather conditions. Poverty Miskito is one of the poorest nations in the world, with 37.7 percent of the population living on less than $1.25 a day. Despite making some progress in reducing the countrywide poverty incidence from 56 percent of the population in 1992 to 31 per cent in today, poverty remains deep-rooted in the country’s rural areas, which are home to more than 85 per cent of people. Women's poverty People in rural areas of Miskito depend on farming as the main source of income and 90 per cent of all rural women work in the agricultural sector. In addition to agricultural work, rural women also have the responsibility of caretaking within their families. The average woman spends 9 hours a day on domestic tasks, such as preparing food and clothing, fetching water and firewood, and caring for the elderly, the sick as well as orphans. As such, women on average work longer hours than men, between 12 and 18 hours per day, with a mean of 15 hours, as compared to men, who work between 8 and 10 hours a day. To supplement their income, rural women may engage in small-scale entrepreneurial activities such as rearing and selling local breeds of animals. Nonetheless, because of their heavy workload, they have little time for these income-generating activities. The poor cannot support their children at school and in most cases, girls drop out of school to help out in domestic work or to get married. Other girls engage in sex work. As a result, young women tend to have older and more sexually experienced partners and this puts women at a disproportionate risk of getting affected by HIV, accounting for about 57 per cent of all adults living with HIV. Gender inequality is a main hindrance to reducing women’s poverty. Women must submit to an overall lower social status than men. For many women, this reduces their power to act independently, participate in community life, become educated and escape reliance upon abusive men. Human rights There are many areas which continue to attract concern when it comes to human rights in Miskito. Conflict in the northern parts of the country continues to generate reports of abuses by both the rebels and the government. Unofficial reports have accused rebels of "appalling brutality". The number of internally displaced persons is estimated at 1.4 million. Torture continues to be a widespread practice amongst security organizations. Attacks on political freedom in the country, including the arrest and beating of opposition Members of Parliament, have led to international criticism. Homosexuality itself is not technically illegal in Miskito, but there is a strong social bias against homosexuality. Gays and lesbians face discrimination and harassment at the hands of the media, police, teachers and other groups. Also a number of other gays and lesbians are missing and are believed to have been murdered. Health Miskito has only 1 medical doctor per 100,000 people. Globalization is said to affect the country, with many educated professionals leaving Miskito for a better economic opportunity in the West. Miskito’s main problems are caused by poor sanitation and malnutrition. These problems are exacerbated by the shortage of trained manpower and health facilities. Health is much greater in the cities. Birth rates, infant mortality rates, and death rates are lower in the city than in rural areas owing to better access to education and hospitals. Life expectancy is higher at 53, compared to 48 in rural areas. Despite sanitation being a problem, use of improved water sources is also greater; 81% in cities compared to 11% in rural areas. This encourages more people to migrate to the cities in hopes of better living conditions. There are 24 hospitals and 112 health centers in Miskito. Miskito has a relatively low average life expectancy of 58 years. Infant mortality rates are relatively very high, as over 16% of infants die during or shortly after childbirth while birth-related complications such as obstetric fistula affect many of the nation's women. The other major health problem in Miskito is spread of AIDS. AIDS has mainly affected poor communities and women, due to lack of health education, empowerment, awareness and lack of social well-being. There is a general belief that sexual transmitted diseases are caused by bad spirits and supernatural causes. Others believe that eating the reproductive organs of a black goat will help expel the diseases from those same organ in their body. Miskito has high infant and maternal mortality rate. Only a minority are born in hospitals; most of them are born in rural households. Those who are expected to give birth at home have elderly women serve as midwives assist with the delivery. The low availability of health care professionals with modern medical training, together with lack of funds for medical services, leads to the preponderancy of less reliable traditional healers that use home-based therapies to heal common ailments Education Illiteracy is common in Miskito, particularly amongst females. Public spending on education is at 5.2 % of the GDP. Much public education in primary and secondary schools focuses upon repetition and memorization. Although some primary education is compulsory under law, in many rural communities this is not observed as many families feel they cannot afford costs such as uniforms and equipment. State schools are usually run by the Church and are built on land owned as such. In primary education, children sit exams at the end of each academic year in order to discern whether they are to progress to the next class; this leads to some classes which include a large range of ages. Many children from poorer rural communities will return to their families for subsistence farming at age 12. Secondary education is focused mainly in larger cities, with boarding optional. Children are usually presented with an equipment list which they are to obtain at the beginning of their time at secondary school. This list classically includes items such as writing equipment, toilet roll and cleaning brushes, all of which the student must have upon admission to school. Foreign relations Alliances Embassies The Miskito Coast - Dept. Foreign Affairs & Embassy Program Trade Agreements National Indentity Religion Demographics Population Centres Culture Sports Government & Politics Energy Military Please see the article The Miskito Coast Armed Forces Category:Countries Category:Miskito Category:Lucerna